West Ham United may have secured safety in the Premier League yesterday. The fact that they took a point from their clash with Arsenal on Sunday was massive.
It was the hardest match left on the schedule of the run-in, and the Hammers actually got something from it. They are now four points clear of the drop zone, with a game in hand over all the teams below them in the table. It’s looking good for them on that front.
West Ham United vs KAA Gent FYIs
Kickoff: Thurs Apr 20, 8pm local, London Stadium, UK
Competition: Conference League Quarterfinal Leg 2/2, Tie is even 1-1 on aggregate
West Ham United Starting XI Prediction: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Series History: KAA Gent wins: 0, Draws: 2, West Ham wins: 1
Fun Fact: the score draw last week ended a 10 game unbeaten in UEFA competition streak for WHUFC
Now we shift gears to the Conference League, where the Irons are knotted up 1-1 with KAA Gent after the first leg of their UECL quarterfinal tie.
Said Hein Vanhaezebrouck, Gent manager:
“We could have got a better result. There were chances to score more. The goal we conceded was through a lack of concentration. London won’t be easy but the game remains open. We still have the opportunity to get a good result there.”
So with that all said, let’s look at the first team projections for both sides.
Starting XI Predictions
West Ham
Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Kehrer, Johnson; Soucek, Rice, Emerson; Lanzini, Bowen, Ings
KAA Gent
Roef, Castro-Montes, Piatkowski , Okumu, Torunarigha, Hong, Kums, De Sart, Fofana, Cuypers, Orban
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.